1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for applying lubricant to a rail of a railroad track and, more particularly, to a lubricant distribution bar or wiping bar applicator for mounting on a railroad rail for application of lubricant thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the operation of railroads, it has long been the practice to apply lubricant or friction modifying materials onto railroad rails, such as to the top of the rails or sides of the rails at curves, turnouts, switches, and in some cases, the sections of the track immediately before a switch, and periodically spaced along the length of the track. Such lubricants and friction modifying materials, such as grease, can either reduce or increase the friction where necessary, to improve train performance and reduce wear on both the railroad rails and the train wheels. Reference may be made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,348,120 and 5,394,958 which are hereby incorporated by reference, for a dissertation on rail lubrication and disclosure of rail lubrication systems and applicator bars (oftentimes referred to as “wiping bars”) used therein. Oftentimes with these rail lubrication systems, substantial amounts of lubricant is wasted by dripping or falling along the sides of the railroad rail thus reducing the efficiency of the lubricant transfer to the train wheels. In some prior art rail lubrication systems, a trough is typically used in conjunction with a wiping bar in order to catch the excess lubricant and to redistribute the lubricant back onto a flange of a train wheel as the wheel passes over the trough. These troughs, which are typically made of steel, fill up with grease forming a puddle thereon such that when a wheel flange passes over the trough, grease is transferred to the wheel flange. Oftentimes, the puddle of grease in the trough is splashed out when a deep wheel flange due to wearing of a train wheel passes over the trough thus reducing the effectiveness of the trough. Furthermore, because of these deep wheel flanges, the trough is typically positioned lower on the railroad rail to avoid damage to the trough from a deep wheel flange of a worn wheel passing thereon. However, because of the lower position of the trough, a normal wheel flange of a train Wheel either passes above the grease or barely contacts the grease in the trough such that the transfer of grease to a normal wheel flange becomes ineffective.
It is therefore desirable to overcome the above mentioned deficiency associated with a typical trough by providing a mat thereon for reducing the waste of lubricant and for increasing the efficiency of lubricant transfer to the railroad rails.